SCOUTING RUTGERS
    The Scarlet Knights currently hold a 4-5 record and are 1-3 in their last four games. Head coach Coquese Washington is in her second season after being appointed the program's third all-time coach in 2022. Washington was the head coach at Penn State from 2007 to 2019 where Leopards head coach Kia Damon-Olson was an assistant on her staff from 2007 to 2016.
    Last time both teams met, Rutgers defeated the Leopards 61-29 in Piscataway.  
    Kaylene Smikle was the leading scorer for Rutgers in its 82-48 win against Delaware State. Smikle finished with a team-high 33 points, adding four boards and three steals while shooting 65 percent from the floor and 55.5 percent from downtown.  On the season, she averages 16.8 ppg.
    Destiny Adams and Chyna Cornwell will also provide scoring for the Scarlet Knights, averaging 13.2 and 10.1 points per game respectively.  As a team on Wednesday, Rutgers shot 51.6 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from the charity stripe.  

LAST TIME OUT
    Junior guard Abby Antognoli scored a career-high 25 points to push Lafayette to a 59-53 win at UMBC on Wednesday night at Chesapeake Arena. The Bay Head, N.J. native added two assists, two boards and three steals while shooting 6-for-12 from the field and 5-for-9 from downtown.
    The Retrievers got off to a hot start, taking a 13-0 lead thanks to buckets from four different players. The Leopards fought back with their own 8-0 run, cutting the deficit to five points with 1:59 remaining. UMBC led 16-10 at the end of the first.
    With 8:21 left in the half, Antognoli knocked down a triple to bring Lafayette within one point of UMBC (16-15). Neither team scored a basket until Antognoli was fouled attempting a three-pointer with 5:25 to go. She made two at the line to give the Leopards their first lead of the game, 17-16. Two foul shots from senior guard Makayla Andrews (12 points) late in the half provided the Maroon and White a 23-20 lead heading into the intermission.
    Antognoli kept up her quality shooting by draining a triple just over a minute into the second half. Anna Blount and Kayla Drummond (three points) exchanged field goals prior to Lafayette going on a short 5-0 run courtesy of buckets from junior guard Kylie Favours (five points). UMBC responded with a 9-0 run of its own, ultimately retaking the lead 34-33 with 3:20 left in the third. Buckets from Andrews and sophomore forward Emma Shields (five points) awarded the Leopards a 37-35 lead with one quarter remaining. Shields added a career-high four steals with two rebounds in 19 minutes .
    Lafayette opened the final quarter with a 7-0 run. The Retrievers then went on their own 7-0 spurt, leaving the score at 44-42 in favor of the Leopards with 6:31 remaining. Lafayette led 53-51 with 50 seconds to play before Antognoli was fouled, putting the Leopards in the bonus. The crafty point guard extended the Leopards'  lead to four points, forcing UMBC into a 2-for-1 situation. UMBC made a layup with 22 seconds left, but more free throws from Antognoli kept the Retrievers at bay. UMBC could not convert down the final stretch and the Maroon and White emerged victorious winning 59-53. 

DYNAMIC DUO
    Junior guard Abby Antognoli and back court partner Makayla Andrews combined for 37 points in the team's 59-53 win over UMBC. Antognoli led all scorers with 25 points, setting a new career high.  Andrews dropped in 12 points, adding three boards and an assist. 

ANTOGNOLI AVERAGES
    Junior guard Abby Antognoli currently leads the Leopards in scoring, assists and steals per game, posting 14.6 ppg, 4.1 apg and 1.9 spg. The Bay Head, N.J. native is also lighting it up from three-point range, shooting at a team-high 39.5 percent clip (30 or more attempts).  Antognoli currently ranks sixth amongst the top scorers in the Patriot League as well as second in assists and fifth in steals.

STANDOUT LEOPARDS
    Since opening the season 0-3, a few Leopards have stepped up in big ways. Junior forward Halee Smith is shooting a team-high 42.9 percent from three-point range and averaging 8.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 1.6 apg. Senior forward Kayla Drummond is getting to the foul line 4.5 times per game compared to her first three games averaging 1.6 attempts. From the charity stripe over the last four games, the Ontario, Canada has improved to 66.6 percent. 

CAREER OUTING
    Lafayette's win over UMBC featured career-highs for Abby Antognoli and Emma Shields.  Antognoli scored 25 points and Shields grabbed four steals. The duos previous career-highs were 24 points and three steals respectively.